# Oldest cigars ever found?



## BostonBull (Mar 6, 2007)

What are the oldest cigars that have been found in smokeable condition?

I think I remember a story that some cigars were found in a basement in Ireland in the early 1900's, that were from the islands made in the 1600's?

Any truth to this or any other stories like this that are TRUE?


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## Mr. White (Dec 4, 2004)

BostonBull said:


> What are the oldest cigars that have been found in smokeable condition?
> 
> I think I remember a story that some cigars were found in a basement in Ireland in the early 1900's, that were from the islands made in the 1600's?
> 
> Any truth to this or any other stories like this that are TRUE?


I could be wrong here but I don't think any cigar 300 years old is going to be in smokable condition. Oh, you might be able to light it, and it might burn, but I don't see it being smokable by our standards.

Like Wine, Stogies have a definite shelf life, and when they pass that shelf life, it's all downhill from there.

Now I do believe someone bought a "can" of stogies from the 40's or so that they had opened up and were smoking good. But they were vacuum sealed against the ravages of time.  There was a thread with pics on the forums about 2-3 weeks ago.


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## ragin' cajun (Mar 12, 2007)

Mr. White said:


> I could be wrong here but I don't think any cigar 300 years old is going to be in smokable condition. Oh, you might be able to light it, and it might burn, but I don't see it being smokable by our standards.
> 
> Like Wine, Stogies have a definite shelf life, and when they pass that shelf life, it's all downhill from there.
> 
> Now I do believe someone bought a "can" of stogies from the 40's or so that they had opened up and were smoking good. But they were vacuum sealed against the ravages of time.  There was a thread with pics on the forums about 2-3 weeks ago.


I gotta say that I'm not really sure whether or not I'd smoke a 300 year old stogie, it would be pretty cool to have the oppurtunity though. Now I would definetly smoke a cigar rolled in the 30's or 40's, and I have. My father-in-law inherited a nice selection/collection from someone in his family. In it was a box of RyJ's from the late 20's or early 30's, I don't remember which. I've had the chance to smoke two of them one when I asked for his permission to marry his daughter and the other when his son got married. Both of them were great, it was a real treat. They were kept up properly over the years, however they did seem a little dry. That was probably just the age. Either way a well aged cigar is a thing of beauty.


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## Mr. White (Dec 4, 2004)

yeah I know there are a LOT of BOTL's here that are meticulous enough about their collections that any cigar they had hung onto from that era would be excellent to smoke. It's when they sit in a basement for a few centuries that I start worrying. hehe.

I think personally I wouldn't smoke anything even remotely suspect from before the 40's or so though. (not like I'll ever have the opportunity to turn someone down on that or anything. hehehe)


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## Coffee Grounds (Feb 14, 2007)

BostonBull said:


> What are the oldest cigars that have been found in smokeable condition?
> 
> I think I remember a story that some cigars were found in a basement in Ireland in the early 1900's, that were from the islands made in the 1600's?
> 
> Any truth to this or any other stories like this that are TRUE?


In the late 90's an auction for 600 cigars dating from 1864 from the Temple House in Sligo, Ireland were sold for a cool $1 million. It was determined before the auction that they were not Cuban but from the Phillippines.

In this situation it was authenticated that the family esate cellar was humidity controlled. 
So this guy paid $1650 a cigar. Holy SMokes

Thre was a purchase in 1996 for the Duke of Buccleuch of 193 Havanas made in 1857 & 1858 for 17,600 Euros. THis was at Christie's auction house.


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## BostonBull (Mar 6, 2007)

Coffee Grounds said:


> In the late 90's an auction for 600 cigars dating from 1864 from the Temple House in Sligo, Ireland were sold for a cool $1 million. It was determined before the auction that they were not Cuban but from the Phillippines.
> 
> In this situation it was authenticated that the family esate cellar was humidity controlled.
> So this guy paid $1650 a cigar. Holy SMokes
> ...


Sounds like the story I was trying to explain.

Any word on if either of those were smoked? And if so how they were?


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## kansashat (Mar 13, 2004)

I'm pretty sure that galaga has a 300 year old wart on his chin. I wouldn't want to smoke it though.


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## fireman43 (Oct 15, 2006)

Mr. White said:


> Now I do believe someone bought a "can" of stogies from the 40's or so that they had opened up and were smoking good. But they were vacuum sealed against the ravages of time.  There was a thread with pics on the forums about 2-3 weeks ago.


That was Hollywood, and they were from 1942 if I remember correctly. Makes me :dr just thinking about em.

I think a lot of it boils down to storage conditions. With the right parameters, it's very possible that a cigar could age for decades, possibly centuries.


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